Remotely controlled ribbon color mechanism



Dec. 2, 1941. L. M. POTTS REMOTELY CONTROLLED RIBBON COLOR MECHANISM Filed Dec. so, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

Ind

I llllll llllllllllllllllllll FIG. 2

INVENTOR. LOUIS M. POTTS ATTORNEY.

Dec. 2, 1941. L. M. POTTS REMOTELY CONTROLLED RIBBON COLOR MECHANISM Filed Dec. 30, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4 I

FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

LOUIS M. POTTS A. ORNEY.

Patented Dec. 2, 1941 2,264,584 REMOTELY CONTROLLED RIBBON COLOR MECHANISM Louis M. Potts, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 30, 1938, Serial No. 248,404

21 Claims.

This invention relates to printing telegraph apparatus and systems and particularly to apparatus for recording messages or selected portions thereof in different colors.

An object of the invention is to provide in transmitting apparatus a selectively operable control means, and in recording apparatus a responsive means whereby recording of message matter remotely transmitted may be effected from any of the color bands of a multiple color printing ribbon.

Another object of the invention is to enable an operator of a transmitter to determine in which colors various portions of message material will be printed by a remote receiving printer.

The invention features ribbon color shift mechanism in a printing telegraph receiving apparatus which is controlled according to received signals, and alternative conditions of which are so related to the ribbon shift control signals transmitted that the transmitter is capable of positively selecting a particular color for the printing of any message characters.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a permutation code transmitter is provided with two sources of transmitting current, either of which may be connected to the line through the transmitting contacts. The sources of current are oppositely connected and either is usable to transmit current and no-current permutation code signals so that all of the marking impulses of any signal combination may be of one polarity or the other, the spacing signals always being represented by open line condition. A key lever controlled bar determines which of the two batteries will be connected to the line for following signal combinations and a cam associated with the transmitting distributor tests the setting of this bar during the start pulse time of each signal combination and transfers the line connection from one battery to the other if the setting of the bar has been changed since the transmission of the preceding signal combination.

At the receiving printer a polar relay is connected in the line in series with the receiving selector magnet. In one position only of the tongue of the polar relay a circuit is prepared for an electromagnet which, when energized, shifts a ribbon control bar to an off-normal position in which it becomes latched. The ribbon shift control mechanism remains in this position until the printing of a character from the selected color of the ribbon has taken place and as the cycle of operation ofthe printer is completed the ribbon shift mechanism is restored to normal mechanically and the shift control bar is released from the latched position. If the next character is to be printed from the same portion of the ribbon, the marking impulses will be of the same polarity as the preceding signal combination and the first marking impulse of the code combination will shift the ribbon control bar to the oil-normal position where it will again be latched for the duration of the printv ing cycle. If, however, the next character is to be printed in a different color, the transmitter will be operated to change the polarity of the marking signals, the polar relay will hold open the circuit of the electromagnet and the ribbon mechanism will remain in normal condition.

According to another embodiment of the in-" vention, code combinations are assigned to the several ribbon color selections, the transmitting apparatus being provided with ribbon color control keys which set the code bars and conribbon shift function levers and becomes latched in that position. The printing bail does not have means for releasing the latch but the latch is connected to another ribbon shift function lever and the latch is effective to maintain the ribbon shift control bar in oil-normal position until tripped by the second-mentioned ribbon shift function lever.

The printing telegraph receiving apparatus to which the ribbon shift control system according Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a transmitting apparatus for controlling the receiving printer illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to view Fig. 1 but with certain portions omitted to avoid duplication, and disclosing in elevation a modification of the present invention:

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus according to Fig. 3 with parts broken away to show the application of the present invention thereto; and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the ribbon shifting mechanism.

Referring to Fig. l, the printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied comprises a typing unit (shown generally in section) which includes a primary selecting mechanism (not shown) controlled by a selector magnet H and a secondary selector or selector vane assembly indicated generally as l2. The selector vane assembly I 2 controls, through a series of hell crank levers l3, the corresponding series of arcuate code bars l4 carried in a movable type carriage. As set forth in Patent No. 2,107,044 and in greater detail in Patent No. 1,904,164, this type carriage, indicated generally as I6, is movable longitudinally with respect to a stationary platen H, on rollers I8 and I9 cooperable with track members 2| and 22, respectively. The type carriage l6 also carries a ribbon supply and ribbon feeding mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 23.

A spacing mechanism (more fully described in U. S. Patent No. 1,904,164) is associated with the main shaft 24 and controls, through gears 26 and 21, shaft 28, pinion 29, and rack 3|, the movement of type carriage l6 to form character spaces, tending in this movement to wind up the carriage return spring mechanism indicated generally as 32.

Positioned parallel to the main operating shaft 24 is an auxiliary shaft 33 on which are carried various mechanisms; for example, the printing ball 34 and the printing bail restoring lever 36. The printing ball 34 is actuated by a printing spring 31 in proper timed relation in the operative cycle, and is controlled by the restoring lever 36. Lever 36 carries at its lower end a follower roller 38 which cooperates with a printing bail cam 39 carried on shaft 24. At its upper end lever 36 carries a screw 4| which serves as the abutment between bail 34 and lever 36 and by the adjustment of which the relation of bail 34 to lever 36 may be varied.

When the follower roller 38 engages the high portion of cam 39, which is the rest condition and is shown in Fig. 1, the lever 36 is in extreme clockwise position as viewed in Fig. 1 and bail 34 is also in extreme clockwise position. Printing bail 34 is at all times under the influence of spring 31 which tends to rotate the bail in counterclockwise direction. Therefore, as the printing cam 39 rotates, it releases lever 36 thereby allowing spring 31 to pull the printing ball 34 in counterclockwise direction at the same time imparting motion in the same direction to lever 36 through abutment screw 4|. The follower roller 38 thus tends to be held in contact with the periphery of cam 39. The counterclockwise movement of lever 36 and therefore of ball 34 is terminated when follower roller 38 engages the low part of cam 39 and as the cam continues to rotate, the follower roller 38 rides up the assending slope of cam 39 and lever 36 is restored to extreme clockwise position and correspondingly restores bail 34 to extreme clockwise position.

Printing bail 34 is provided with a pair of blades 42 which are spaced apart to provide a guideway for a roller 43 caried on a pull bar ball 44. Through this interconnection the movement of bail 34 is imparted to the pull bar bail 44 causing the latter to reciprocate periodically. Pull bar ball 44 is provided at its forward edge with a blade 46 against the upper edge of which rest pull bars 41 which individually engage the type bars by means of rack teeth 48.

Pull bars 41 are individually urged rightwardly by springs 49 until the type bars rest on pad 5|. When the pull bar bail 44 is in normal position, the foremost ends of the pull bars 41 (left-hand ends as viewed in Fig. 1) are held out of engagement with the'notched edges of code bars l4. The edge surfaces of pull bars 41 that engage blade 46 are inclined, and each pull bar has a shoulder 52 disposed in the path of pull bar bail blade 46. When pull bar bail 44 is moved leftwardly by spring 31 acting through printing bail 34 and roller 43 the blade 46 moves along the sloping lower edges of pull bars 41 and permits their foremost portions to be drawn downwardly by springs 49 until they come to rest against the notched edges of code bars 14. For each selection only one of the pull bars 41 may find an alignment of notches in code bars l4 into which its foremost end may enter. thereby bringing its shoulder 42 into the path of the upper edge of blade 46. Shoulders 52 of those pull bars 41 which engage the lugs or high portions of notched code bars H are held clear of the blade 46 so that their shoulders 52 cannot be engaged by it. As pull bar ball 44 continues to move leftwardly blade 46 moves the selected pull bar 41 leftwardly by engagement with its shoulder 52 and by virtue of the rack tooth engagement of the pull bar with a corresponding type bar the type bar will be rocked in clockwise direction to cause it to strike a printing blow. As bail 44 is restored to normal position by lever 36 it cams all of the pull bars 41 out of engagement with the edges of code bars I4 so that the latter may be set in accordance with a new signal combination.

Ink for printing by means of a type bar is supplied by an inked ribbon 56 transferable step by step from one to another of spools 51 and sup ported intermediate the spools by ribbon guide member 58 which in turn is carried at the end of the horizontal arm of a ribbon shift bell crank lever 59 pivoted at 6| to one end of a lever 62 which in turn is pivoted at 63 to a bracket 64 integral with a portion of the frame work of the type carriage I6. Lever 62 supports between the pivotal points 6| and 63 a roller 65 which engages the under side of a rail carried by the platen assembly, engagement being maintained by tension spring 69. Spring 69 tends to rotate lever 62 in clockwise direction about pivot 63 so that when platen I1 is shifted between its upper case and lower case (letters" and figures") position, in a manner and through the medium of apparatus described in Patent No. 1,904,164, roller 65 will remain constantly in contact with the rail associated with the platen supporting apparatus and the pivotal mounting 6| for lever 59 will follow the upward and downward movement of platen 1.

Lever 59 has a depending arm 66 which is biased against the rearmost edge (right-hand as viewed in Fig. l) of the pull bar bail 44 by a tension spring 61. When pull bar bail 44 is reciprocated from its normal position by spring 31 under the control of cam 88, spring 61 will cause the lower end of lever arm 66 to follow ball 44 and lever 58 will thus be rotated in clockwise direction whereby ribbon guide 58 will be lifted to bring a portion of ribbon 56 into printing position. This will be true whether platen i1 is in letters or figures position because arm 68 is of sufllcient length that it will not be lifted out of cooperation with bail 44 when lever 62 is rocked to extreme clockwise position due to lifting of the platen I1 in response to a shift operation. Thus it will be noted that when ball 44 is in its normal position (that shown in Fig. l) the bell crank 59 will hold the ribbon 56 in its lowermost position, which'is below the printing position, to effect visibility of the printed characters and when bail 44 moves toward the left as viewed in Fig. l for a printing operation, the ribbon 58 will be raised to printing position due to the clockwise movement of bell crank 58 about pivot 6|.

In accordance with the present invention, the amount of vertical reciprocation of ribbon guide 58 is varied to bring a particular colored portion of the ribbon into position for printing for either of the two printing positions of platen 1. To effect this control of the inking ribbon, a wing bar 68 is provided which extends across the receiving printer and is pivotally supported at its ends. The upper wing of bar 68 extends into a slot in the end of a depending arm of bell crank 69 which is pivotally supported by the type carriage l6. It will thus be observed that as carriage l8 travels back and forth across the receiving printer, the depending arm of bell crank 68 moves along the upper wing of bar 68 but remains always in articulation with the upper wing of that bar.

A horizontally extending arm of bell crank 68 supports the free end of a lever arm 1| pivoted at 12 to the type carriage l6. At its free end lever arm 1| is provided with a laterally extending projection 18. Depending arm 66 of the ribbon controlling bell crank which comprises arms 58 and 66 is provided with a plurality of laterally extending projections 14, the upper 01' which is disposed to find in its path the laterally extending projection 13 of lever arm 1| when the platen is in the unshift or lower position and lever arm 11 is held in extreme counterclockwise position by the horizontally extending arm of bell crank 68 and the lower of which is disposed to find projection 13 in its path when the lever arm is in extreme counterclockwise position and the platen I1 is in its upper or shift position. Lever arm 1| is maintained in normal or extreme counterclockwise position when bell crank 69 is in extreme clockwise position and these conditions exist when wing bar 68 is in the normal or extreme counterclockwise position, all as viewed in Fig. 1. When wing bar 68 is rotated, under circumstances which will be described later, to extreme clockwise or off-normal position, bell crank 69 is rocked to extreme counterclockwise position and the free end of lever arm 1| is lowered a sufficient distance to clear the upper projection on bell crank lever arm 66 if the platen I1 is in unshift position and to clear the lower projection on bell crank lever arm 66 if lever arm 66 has been lifted due to shifting of the platen I1 to its uppermost position. When lever arm 66 is prevented by lever arm 1| from following pull bar bail 44 due to arrestment of lever arm 66 by engage ment of either of the laterally extending projections 14 with the projections 13 of lever arm 11,

the ribbon guide 58 will be elevated only sufflciently to bring the upper color section of the inked ribbon 58 into printing position. When, however, lever arm 1| is rocked into extreme clockwise position, its laterally extending proiection 13 can block neither of the projections 14 of lever arm 66 and the lever arm 66 can follow pull bar bail 44 a suiiicient distance to bring the lower color portion of the printing ribbon 56 into printing position. These conditions are true regardless of whether platen I1 is in the shift or unshift positions.

Wing bar 68, which may be biased counterclockwise by a suitable spring, is controlled by a lever 16 pivoted at 11 to a portion of the stationary frame of the receiving printer, lever 16 being biased in clockwise direction by tension spring 18. Lever 16 may engage wing bar 68 by means of projecting finger 15 presented to the right of the lower wing of wing bar 68, so that lever 16 may rock the wing bar in clockwise direction. Wing bar 68 has secured thereto an arm 18 which is provided with a shoulder 8i. In transverse alignment with arm 16 there is pivotally supported a latch 82 which may be biased clockwise to bear against the end of arm 18 by means of a torsion spring and which, upon clockwise rocking of wing bar 68 by lever 16, is rotated in clockwise direction by its biasing spring into engagement with shoulder 8| to maintain wing bar 68 in extreme clockwise position. In order that latch 82 may be rotated in counterclockwise direction to release wing bar 68 for restoration to normal at the end of each printing cycle, printing ball 34 is provided with a bracket 83 which pivotally supports an arm 84 having a shoulder 86. Arm 84 is-maintained in engagement with a depending arm of latch 82 by means of a tension spring 81 distended between arm 84 and bracket 83.

When printing bail 34 is rocked in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, unlatching arm 84 is moved leftwardly sliding under the free end of the depending arm 85 associated with latch 82 until shoulder 86 of arm 84 clears the end of the depending arm of latch 82 and is pulled to the left of the arm 85. As bail 84 is restored to extreme clockwise position by cam 38 operating through restoring arm 36 unlatching arm 84 is moved rightwardly and its shoulder 86 engages the depending arm 85 of latch 82 and rocks the latch counterclockwise until its latching arm is drawn clear of the arm 18 of wing bar 68. Thereupon, wing bar 68 is restored to extreme counterclockwise position by its biasing spring.- In this manner the wing bar 68 is restored to extreme counterclockwise or normal position at the end of each cycle of operation of the printer in which the wing bar has been rocked to extreme clockwise position. The printer normally prints from the upper color portion of the ribbon and will print from the lower half of the munication circuit 9|, in series with the selector magnet I I, a polar relay 92. The tongue of polar relay 92 is spring-biased toward one of the contacts which it is adapted to engage so that it will engage that contact in response to line signals of a given polarity and in the absence of any current on the line, and will be moved to engagement with the other contact only in response to impulses on the line of the opposite polarity. The spring thus causes the tongue to respond to spacing signals characterized by no-current condition in the same manner that it responds to marking signals of a particular polarity.

The tongue of relay 92' is connected to a condenser I04 and the contact toward which the tongue is spring-biased is connected to battery so that when the tongue engages that contact a charge will be accumulated upon the condenser I04. The other contact of the polar relay is connected to the operating winding of a relay 93 and energizing current for the relay 93 is supplied by condenser I 04 when the tongue of polar relay 92 is attracted in opposition to its biasing spring. Relay 93 has a locking winding, the circuit of which is completed through its make contact armature 94 and through a normally closed contact 96. Another make contact armature 97 of relay 93 prepares a circuit for an operating electromagnet 98, the armature of which is secured to lever I6 at its lower end. The circuit of operating magnet 98 is normally open at 99 which is a contact controlled by a pivoted lever I M operated by a cam I02 carried by main shaft 24. Cam I02 is positioned on shaft 24 so as to operate lever IN to close contact 99 at the beginning of rotation of the cam assembly and in sufficient time before ribbon controlling lever arm 66 moves with pull bar bail 44 so that magnet 90 may be energized and lever 76 operated to cause printing from the lower half of the ribbon. Upon operation of lever I6 by magnet 98, a nonconductive block I03 secured to the lower end of lever I6 opens contact 96 to interrupt the locking circuit for relay 93, thereby permitting the relay to become de-energized.

From the description of the apparatus through which electromagnet 98 is controlled it will be apparent that marking signals of one polarity: namely, that which will cause the tongue of polar relay 92 to be attracted in opposition to its biasing spring. will be eifective to cause the energization of relay 93 and spacing signals and marking signals of the opposite polarity will be effective only to complete a charging circuit for condenser I 04. Let it be assumed for purposes of illustration that printing is to be efifected from the lower color band of ribbon 56, which necessitates the operation of lever I6. It will also be assumed that the previous character had been printed from the upper half of the ribbon in response to signals the marking impulses of which have attracted the tongue of polar relay 92 into engagement with the contact which completes a charging circuit for condenser I04. Spacing signals are represented by no current on the line so that the tongue of polar relay 92 will have remained in position to permit the charging of condenser I04 and the condenser will be charged. Upon reception of the first marking impulse in the signal combination the polar relay tongue will move to the opposite contact in opposition to its biasing spring and will complete the circuit for the operating winding of relay 93 which will become energized by current supplied by condenser I04. The receiving printer being in normal condition except for its selector mechanism, lever I6 will be in its normal position and contact 96 will be closed so that upon energization of relay 93 it will become locked through its contact 94 and the circuit for operating magnet- 96 will be prepared at contact 91. Upon reception of each spacing signal in the signal combination the biasing spring of relay 92 will cause the tongue to be attracted to complete the charging circuit for condenser I04 and as further marking impulses are received the operating winding of relay 93 will again be energized but this will have no eflect upon the relay since it is maintained in energized condition by its locking circuit.

In accordance with the normal timing of receiving printers of the kind disclosed herein, the main cam assembly including cams 39 and I02 will be set in operation at about the time the stop impulse of the signal combination is received. Cam I02 will immediately close contact 99, completing the energizing circuit for magnet 98 which operates lever 16 by attracting the armature secured thereto. Lever IS in turn rocks the wing bar in clockwise direction, the Wing bar becoming latched in that position. As lever I6 reaches its fully operated position, it opens contact 96 which interrupts the locking circuit for relay 93, the relay becoming de-energized. The purpose of cam I02 is to time the energization of magnet 98, and the length of time contact 99 may be held closed by the apex of cam I02 is not important, as magnet 98 will become de-energized when the locking circuit for relay 93 is opened at 96 since the energizing circuit for magnet 98 will be opened at 91 whether or not it remains closed at 99.

As a result of the previously described unidirectional operating connection between lever I6 and wing bar 68, lever 16 may be restored to normal position by its spring I8 upon the deenergization of magnet 98 although wing bar 68 remains in the operated or off-normal position due to latch 82. The restoration of lever 16 to normal results in the reclosing of contact 96 whereby the locking circuit for relay 93 is conditioned at 96 and will be completed at 94 upon the next energization of the operating winding of relay 93. Near the end of the operating cycle of the printer the wing bar 68 is released as previously described and is restored to normal by its biasing spring.

It will be noted that the stop impulse at the end of a signal combination which has been of the polarity to cause the tongue of polar relay 92 to connect condenser I04 to the operating winding of relay 93 will likewise connect con denser I04 to the winding of relay 93, which connection will persist as long as the stop impulse persists. If the last selecting impulse of the code combination was of spacing condition, condenser I04 will have become charged and when polar relay 92 responds to the stop signal the condenser will discharge through the operating winding of relay 93. If, however, the last selecting impulse of the signal combination was of marking nature, the circuit for the winding of relay 93 will merely be maintained by the stop impulse but condenser I04 will already have discharged and no current will flow in the operating winding of relay 93. In either case, the contacts controlled by relay 93 will not be affected, as the relay will already have been operated and a locking circuit established in response to one of the marking impulses of the signal combination. Since according to the preferred timing of the apparatus contact 99 is not closed by cam I02 until after the stop impulse is being received by the printer, relay 93 will have been maintained energized by its locking circuit. As lever I8 becomes fully operated by magnet 98 it opens the locking circuit for relay 93 which becomes de-energized and releases its contacts.

94 and 91. Relay 93 will, in fact, become deenergized because the charge on the condenser has previously been dissipated and current for energizing relay 93 will not become available until condenser I04 has been recharged due to release of the tongue of polar relay 92' either in response to a spacing signal, which may be the start impulse of the next signal combination, or as a result of a reversal of the polarity of the signaling current, in which case electromagnet 98 is to remain unoperated. From this it will be observed that a stop signal applied to the line SI for a prolonged period of time cannot cause electromagnet 98 to be operated after it has been energized in response-to a selecting impulse of marking nature and has been released by interruption of the locking circuit for relay 93. The only circumstance under which a stop impulse may be directly responsible for the energlzation of relay 93 occurs in the reception of the blank or all-spacing signal combination which has no selecting signal of marking nature. Condenser I 04 will, under this circumstance, be charged during the reception of the spacing impulses and upon receipt of the stop impulse the condenser will be connected to the operating winding of relay 93 which will be energized and held through its locking circuit. Upon the release of the operating cams, cam I02 will operate to complete the circuit of electromagnet 98 which will operate lever I6 and cause wing bar 68 to become latched in the off-normal position. Ordinarily no character is associated with the blank signal combination so that a printing operation will not occur and upon the return of the printing bail the wing bar 08 will be released in the normal manner.

A transmitter by means of which signal combinations may be transmitted in which the marking impulses are of one or the other of two polarities is indicated schematically in Fig. 2. Transmitting contacts are designated by the reference numeral I06, one of these contacts being normally in engagement with a conductive member I01 to which communication channel 9| is connected and the remaining contacts being normally held from engagement with conductive member I01. The contact which normally engages the conductive member applies the stop or rest impulse to communication channel 9| and the remaining contacts may be released selectively for engagement with the conductive member according to the signal to be transmitted and under the control of a distributor, the operating shaft of which is indicated I08. The showing of the transmitting contacts is conventional and a complete disclosure and description of such a transmitter is contained in Patent No. 1,595,472.

Transmitting contacts I06 are all connected electrically to a contact spring I09, which is engageable with either of two contacts III and H2, each of which is connected to a grounded battery or other source of transmitting current,

one of the contacts being connected to the negative side of one of the sources and the other being connected to the positive side of the other source.

The engagement of contact spring I09 with one or the other of contacts III and H2 is controlled by key levers II3 and Ill. Key lever H3 is arranged to impart rightward movement to a bar III; and key lever H4 is arranged to impart leftward movement to the bar. Bar II8 may be supported similarly to key lever controlled permutation bars and is similarly presentable in either of two positions. Bar H6 is not intended to ,be controlled by any other key levers than those already identified and therefore is provided with no lugs and actually aflords clearance for all of the other key levers of the keyboard transmitter. Also, the permutation code bars which control the transmitting contacts I08 are not to be affected by the operation .of key levers H3 and H4 since according to the present embodiment of the invention permutation code signal combinations are not assigned to the shifting of the ribbon.

Bar H8 is engaged by a bell crank II! to which is articulated a transfer bar II8 which is provided with spaced arms II9 presented toward a rocker member I2I. Rocker member I has arms I 22' spaced apart a distance sufiiciently greater than the arms II9 that when bar H8 is shifted to the left the upper arm II9 may engage upper arm I22 and lower arm II9 will be located inside lower arm I22. It follows from this that when bar H6 is in its right-hand position bar II8 will be in its lowermost position whereby the lower arm II9 .will be aligned with the lower arm I22 and the upper arm H9 will be inside the upper arm I22. A lever arm I23 pivotally supported adjacent to bar I I8 and having a portion engageable with bar H8 is provided with a cam follower roller I24 which engages the periphery of a cam I28 carried by distributor shaft I08 and connected to cams (not shown) which control the closure of transmitting contacts I06. Rocker member I2I is provided with an arm I21 which engages and controls contact spring I09. When rocker member I2! is in extreme counterclockwise position, it permits contact spring I09 to engage battery contact III. When rocker member I2I is rocked into extreme clockwise position its arm I2'I depresses contact spring I09 into engagement with a moment of torque to rocker member I2I by' jockey detent I28 is determined.

Cam I28 is so oriented with respect to the cams which control transmitting contacts I08 that its apex rocks lever arm I24 in clockwise direction before the last marking impulse of the signal being transmitted and preferably the lever arm I23 is rocked by cam I28 during the start interval, at which time none of the transmitting contacts I06 engages the conductive member I01, the start-signal being a spacing impulse. Lever arm I23 imparts to bar II8 pivotal movement in clockwise direction about the point of articulation of bar II8 with bell crank I". If bar II8 has been shifted by operation of bar II8 since the last setting of rocker member I2I, one of the arms II9 will encounter an arm I22 before the limit of movement of bar II8 has been reached and in being moved to its clockwise limit will shift rocker member I2I- to its opposite position. The condition specifically illustrated in Fig. 2 is that key lever II4 has been last operated to shift bar II6 to its left-hand position and thus to lift bar II8 to its uppermost position. In the cycle of operation of cam I26 following the operation of key lever II4 the upper arm II8 engaged the upper arm I22 and rocked rocker member I2I into extreme clockwise position to engage contact spring I09 with contact II2. Repeated operation of key lever II4 will produce no change in the apparatus. Let it be assumed now that key lever H3 is operated to shift bar II6 to its right-hand position, thus lowering transfer bar II8 to its lowermost position. The lower arm II9 will be aligned with the lower arm I22 and upon operation of lever arm I23 by cam I26 rocker member I2I will be rocked to its uppermost position permitting contact spring I88 to move into engagement with contact III. With this arrangement the transmitting contact may be connected selectively to either of the two transmitting batteries during the interval following the rest impulse and preceding the first selecting impulse. The setting of rocker member I2I is tested by cam I26 and lever arm I23 in each cycle of operation of the transmitting cams but when no change has been made in the position of bar II6 the operation is idle, no change being effected in the position of rocker member I2I. Key lever H3 is assigned to one color section of the ribbon 56 in the receiving printer and key lever H4 is assigned to another section. After bar II6 has been set by operation of one of the key levers H3 and H4 all of the characters transmitted thereafter will be printed in the corresponding color until the other key lever has been operated to effect a change in the color printing.

Figs. 3 and 4 disclose an alternative embodiment of the ribbon color selection control mechanism in which code combinations have been assigned to the conditioning of the ribbon shift mechanism for the desired color selection. A conventional permutation code signal transmitter may be employed for operating the receiving printer disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4, as marking signals of two different polarities are not required. The invention is applicable to the same type of receiving printer as that disclosed in Fig. 1 and corresponding elements are identified by the same reference numerals so that it is not necessary to repeat the description of those elements and their relationships.

Reference numeral I3I indicates a function selecting lever which is provided with code lugs arranged according to the code combination to which it is to be responsive, the lever being pivotally supported upon a rod I32 and having its code lugs presented toward selector vanes I33. At a predetermined time in the cycle of operation of the receiving printer, as set forth in Patent No. 1,904,164 which contains a complete description of the function code levers and their operation, all of the function code levers are released by a bail for rocking movement in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. When the selector vanes have been set in response to a received signal according to the code of a function lever, such as the lever I 3|, none of the selector vanes interferes with or blocks the path of the code lugs of the function lever, and

the lever is free to rock in counterclockwise direction by power furnished by its operating spring I84. Function levers which are not to be selected in response to particular code combinations find one or more selector vanes I33 interfering with one or more code lugs, whereby the function levers are prevented from rocking in counterclockwise direction.

Function lever I3! is formed as a bell crank and its horizontally extending arm I36 has an offset portion I38, the offset being in the plane of arm I36. A horizontally extending arm I31 of a bell crank I38, pivoted at I, rests upon the offset portion I38 of function lever I3I. Vertically extending arm I42 of bell crank I36 has articulated to its upper end a push rod I43 which engages the lower end of ribbon shift control lever I6. Counterclockwise rocking of function lever I3I results in the lifting of its offset portion I38 whereby clockwise rocking movement is imparted to bell crank I38. Bell crank I39 imparts rightward movement to push rod I43 which rocks ribbon shift control lever I6 counterclockwise. Iever I6 rocks wing bar 68 to its extreme clockwise or off-normal position where it is latched by a latch I 44 which differs from latch 82 in Fig. 1 in that it is not releasable cyclically, the printing bail 34 not being provided with the bracket 83 and latch releasing arm 84 which the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. 1 includes.

For releasing latch I44, whereby wing bar 68 may be restored to its normal position, there is provided another function lever assigned to the selection of the ribbon color section which the normal position of wing bar 68 and lever 16 represent. The function selection lever I46 is also formed as a bell crank and has at the free end of its horizontally extending arm a pin I" which is disposed in an elongated slot I48 in the lower end of a vertically extending link I49. Link I49 is articulated at its upper end to an arm latch I 4.

The pin and slot connection between function selection lever I46 and link I48 provides lost motion so that if function lever I46 should be selected and operated when atch I44 is in its extreme counterclockwise or ineffective position, pin I41 will move idly in slot I48 without imparting motion to link I49. However, when latch I44 has been rocked to its extreme clockwise or effective position, link I49 has been moved downwardly suificiently to bring the upper end of slot I48 substantially into engagement with pin I". This is the condition of the apparatus under which function lever I41 may be effective to cause a printing color change and upon counterclockwise rocking of function lever I46, link I 49 will be moved upwardly and latch I44 will be rocked counterclockwise to disengage it from wing bar 68 so that the wing bar will return to normal position. By virtue of the unidirectionally operating connection between lever I6 and wing bar 68, the selection of function lever I3I, when wing bar 66 is latched in off-normal position, will produce no effect, as lever I6 will merely be rocked idly, the lower wing of wing bar 68 being then out of engagement with lever I6, and the lever I6 will return to normal position. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that when a particular color portion of the printing ribbon has .been selected, all of the characters received thereafter will be printed from that color portion until. a signal for a change in ribbon color is received whereupon the function lever associated with the newly selected ribbon color is operated to change the condition of the ribbon color selection control mechanism.

It is to be noted in connection with the embodiment of the invention described in Figs. 3 and 4 that ribbon color changes need not necessarily have signal combinations assigned to them exclusively. For example, it may be desirable to have ribbon color changes occur incidentally to the performance of other functions. In certain kinds of message recording, it may be desirable to print all numerals in one color and all letters in another color. This may be accomplished by providing a connection between the shift function lever and the ribbon control lever 16 so that the function lever, in addition to effecting the shift operation, will also condition the color selection apparatus for printing on the desired portion of the ribbon. Similarly,

a connection may be provided between the unshift function lever and the link I49 so that the function lever will effect release of latch I as well as the unshift operation. The same result may be accomplished without altering the shift and unshift function selection levers in any way, or without associating additional apparatus with them, by providing ribbon color shift control levers, such as the function levers BI and H6 in Fig. 3, one being coded identically with the shift function lever and the other being coded identically with the unshift function lever so that in response to the single setting of the selector vanes I33, two function levers will be selected simultaneously, one effecting a shift or unshift operation and the other effecting a ribbon color change operation. It will also be apparent that the shift and unshift functions need not be the only ones with which ribbon color change operations are paired, but that these operations may be associated with any other functions, as may be desired.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the'drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed but is capable of modification, substitution, and rearrangement of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph system, a transmitting device, means in said device for transmitting signal combinations, means for imparting any of a plurality of characteristics to any of said signal. combinations, a recording device including a platen, a shiftable ribbon carrying mechanism, means to shift and return the ribbon carrying mechanism irrespective of the position of the platen to reveal the record at the point of printing after each printing operation, and means operated according to the characteristics imparted to a signal combination by said means in said transmitting device for controlling the extent of shifting the ribbon carrying mechanism.

2. In a telegraph apparatus, a platen, a shiftable ribbon carrying mechanism, means to shift and return the ribbon carrying mechanism irrespective of the position of the platen to reveal the record at the point of printing after each printing operation, signal responsive means operable characteristically according to the polarity of received signals, and means controlled by said signal responsive means for controlling the extent of shifting of the ribbon carrying mechanism.

3. In a telegraph apparatus, a platen,-a shiftable ribbon carrying mechanism, means to shift and return the ribbon carrying mechanism irrespective of the position of the platen to reveal the record at the point of printing after each printing operation, signal responsive means operable characteristically according to the polarity of received signals, and means controlled by said signal responsive means and timed according to the ribbon shifting means for controlling the extent of shifting of the ribbon carrying mechanism.

4. In a telegraph system, a transmitting device, means in said device for transmitting signal combinations, means for imparting any of a plurality of characteristics to any of said signal combinations, a recording device including a ribbon having a plurality of color sections, a ribbon operating mechanism, a device for altering the operation of the ribbon operating mechanism to achieve selective color printing, and means operated according to the characteristics imparted to a signal combination by said transmitting device for conditioning the ribbon operating mechanism for altered operation.

5. In a telegraph system, a transmitting device,

' selectively operable means in said device for transmitting signal combinations, other selectively operable means in said device for imparting a corresponding one of two characteristics to any of the signal combinations transmitted, a recording device including a printing ribbon having two color printing sections, a ribbon shifting mechanism, a device for varying the shifting of the ribbon operating mechanism for achieving selective color printing, means operable in response to signal combinations having one of said characteristics for conditioning the ribbon operating mechanism for altered operation, and means effective after each recording operation for returning the ribbon mechanism to its original condition.

6. In a telegraph signal transmitting device, selectively operable means for transmitting signal combinations, means for imparting to said signal combinations either of two characteristics,

selectively operable means for initiating a change in signal combination characteristics, and cyclically operable means for effecting the change in characteristic.

7. In a telegraph signal transmitter, selectively operable means for transmitting signal combinations, means for imparting either of two characteristics to any signal combination, selectively operable means for initiating a change in signal combination characteristic, and means operable invariably in each cycle of said transmitter for testing for the initiation of a change in signal combination characteristic and operable upon encountering the initiation of a change for effecting such change.

8. In a telegraph signal transmitter, selectively operable means for transmitting signal combinations comprising marking and spacing impulses and including invariably a starting impulse of spacing nature, means for imparting either of two characteristics to the marking impulses of any signal combinations, selectively operable means for initiating a change in marking impulse characteristic, and means operable cyclically during the start impulse interval for completing an initiated change in marking impulse characteristic.

9. In a telegraph system, a transmitting de vice, means for transmitting signal combinations including various combinations of marking and spacing impulses and an invariably transmitted rest impulse of marking nature, selectively operable means for imparting either of two characteristics to the marking impulses of any signal combination, a recording device including a printing ribbon having two color sections, a ribbon operating mechanism, a device to alter the operation of the ribbon operating mechanism for achieving color printing selections, means responsive to selecting impulses of marking nature of one characteristic but nonresponsive to the rest impulse for conditioning the ribbon operating mechanism for altered operation, and means effective after each recording operation for returning the ribbon mechanism to its original condition.

10. In a telegraph apparatus, a shiftable ribbon carrying mechanism, a multip. color ribbon carried by said mechanism, means to shift and return the ribbon carrying mechanism for revealing the record at the point of printing after each printing operation, signal responsive means operable in a predetermined manner in response to signals of one polarity and operable diiferently in response to signals of another polarity, storage means controlled by said signal responsive means when responding to signals of one polarity for storing a control condition, means controlled by said signal responsive means in response to signals of the other polarity and operated by the stored control condition for preparing an operation corresponding to said stored control condition, and means operated in consequence of said preparation for varying the degree of shifting of the ribbon carrying mechanism.

11. In a telegraph apparatus, a shiftable ribbon carrying mechanism, a multiple color ribbon carried by said mechanism, means for shifting and returning the ribbon carrying mechanism to reveal the record at the point of printing after each printing operation, a biased polar relay, an electrostatic device energizable under the control of said relay in th biased position thereof, electro-dynamic means energizable from said electrostatic means under the control of said relay when energized in opposition to its bias, means conditioned by said electro-dynamic means for varying the degree of shifting of the ribbon carrying mechanism, and cyclically operable timing means operating in advance of the printing operation for rendering said last-mentioned means operative.

12. In a telegraph apparatus, a plurality of sets of type elements, a platen for cooperating with said type elements to accomplish printing, signal responsive means for selectively making preparation for cooperation between said platen and the type elements of any of said sets, means conditioned concurrently with said signal responsive means, and means including elements effective by said conditioned means for imparting distinguishing characteristics to type impressions from different sets of type elements.

13. In a telegraph apparatus, a plurality of classes of type elements, a platen for cooperating with said type elements to accomplish printing, an ink supply ribbon to be interposed between said platen and said type elements having difierent color bands corresponding in number to the number of said classes of type elements, signal responsive means for varying the cooperative relation between said platen and said classes of type elements, means conditioned for operation according to the selected relation between the platen and the classes of type elements as determined by the operation of said signal responsive means, and means controlled by said conditioned means for interposing diflerent ribbon color bands between the platen and the different classes of type elements.

14. In a signal transmitting device, means to transmit signals composed of intervals of current and intervals of no current, means for reversin the polarity of the current, and automatically operating means to limit the operation of the current reversing means to intervals of no current.

15. In a signal transmitting apparatus, a rotary transmitting distributor, means for starting the distributor at the beginning of a signal, means for stopping the distributor at the end of a signal, a plurality of contacts, means for setting certain of the contacts according to the signal to be transmitted prior to the efiectivation of the starting means, and means to set others of the contacts after the distributor has completed a part of its rotation for that signal.

16. In a telegraph system, means for transmitting signals composed of intervals of current and intervals of no current, means for reversing the polarity of the current in intervals of no current, means for maintaining current of either polarity when no signals are being transmitted, a recording device variably controlled by the signals, means to condition the recording device for off-normal operation in response to a particular polarity of current, means to return the recorder to a normal condition after each recording operation, and means to prevent again conditioning the recorder oiT-normal condition until after a no-current interval.

17. In a printing telegraph apparatus, a printing platen, a ribbon carrying device shiftable with respect to said platen, a cyclically operable bail, means operable under the control of said bail for shifting said ribbon carrying device, means responsive to a signal characteristic identified with ribbon shift conditions, and means including an element controlled by said signal responsive means and cooperating with said ball for determining selectively a plurality of limits of control of said shifting means as operated by said means under the control of said bail.

18. In a printing telegraph apparatus, a printing platen, a ribbon carrying device shiftable with respect to said platen, a printing bail, means biased to follow said bail for shifting said ribbon carrying device, means responsive to a predetermined received signal for blocking said shifting means, and means responsive to another predetermined received signal for disabling said blocking means.

19. In a printing telegraph apparatus, a printing platen, a ribbon carrying device shiftable with respect to said platen, a printing bail, means biased to follow the movements of said bail for shifting and returning said ribbon carrying device, means normally presented in the path of said shifting means for limiting the shifting movement thereof, means for withdrawing said limiting means from effective position, means responsive to a predetermined received signal for operating said withdrawing means, means for holding said withdrawing means operated, and means responsive to another predetermined received signal for disabling said holding means.

20. In a printing telegraph apparatus, a printing platen, a ribbon carrying device shiftable with respect to said platen, a printing bail, means 21. In a printing telegraph apparatus, a shiftable printing platen, a ribbon carrying device shiftable with said platen and also with respect thereto, a printing bail, means biased to follow I the movements of said bail for shifting and returning the ribbon carrying device from\and to an initial position with respect to said platen independently of the position of said platen, means normally presented in position to limit the movement of said shifting means: with said bail, and means responsive to a predetermined signal for disabling said limiting means.

LOUIS M. POTTS. 

